Applications Support Lead

Apprenticeship Information

The broad purpose of the occupation is to provide tactical advice, training and support on core technology applications (both hardware and software) to internal colleagues and external clients and customers to enhance and enable the delivery of application-based products and services. This includes any IT based environment providing a customer-facing service such as websites and mobile applications. An application support lead  delivers the roll-out of upgrades to existing technologies, implement new technologies for use by colleagues and provide change management support to them. They will implement and operate a support desk function. They assist with the planning of IT application and infrastructure change projects, implementing, testing and rolling out software and hardware relating to these change projects. They will build, implement and support the creation of remote working environments and collaborative working platforms for colleagues and external clients and customers.

The key roles for a Application Support Lead apprentice are:

• Application Support Analyst
• Applications Analyst

Opportunities for apprentice graduates to progress onto are:

• Senior Support Analyst
• Application Support Manager

Apprenticeship Structure

This apprenticeship programme runs in cohorts and have dedicated academic start dates. The apprentice will be required to attend 23 teaching and learning half days for this apprenticeship programme. These teaching and learning days are a requirement for the apprentice to learn the needed knowledge, skills and behaviours to develop as a Application Support Lead and to achieve their apprenticeship assessments.

The apprentice will also be required to have sufficient time available by their employer to complete their project report  once they have entered gateway in order to complete their End-Point Assessment. The EPA period for this apprenticeship is a maximum of 6 months.

Breakdown of Apprenticeship Programme

Stage 1 – Induction & Initial Assessments 
During this stage, Velocity Academy will complete the apprenticeship on-boarding process with you and your employer. During this, the apprentice will complete an induction to your apprenticeship programme and the apprentice will also complete initial screening assessments for their functional skills.

Stage 2 – Your Learning
During stage 2, the apprentice will receive their tuition attendance dates for their required apprenticeship programme. These tuition dates will be hosted through Velocity Academies Online Live Classrooms and lead by your dedicated programme lead. The apprentice and the employer will also be invited to an apprenticeship review meeting every 6 weeks with their apprenticeship programme lead. 

Stage 3 – Mock EPA Activities
As the apprentice gets towards the end of their apprenticeship programme, they will be preparing for their End-Point Assessment (EPA) activities. Consider these as the final summative assessments that will lead to the apprentice achieving their apprenticeship. During this time, the apprentice will be conducting mock assessments with their programme lead.

Stage 4 – End-Point Assessment & Graduation
This is the final stage of the apprenticeship programme. The EPA activities are lead by the awarding body and the apprentice will be allocated an assessor from the awarding body to complete their assessments with. Once the apprentice has completed these assessments and passed them, they would then be ready for graduating from their apprenticeship programme.

Apprenticeship Units

Along with having coaching calls every 3 weeks to support the build of the apprentice portfolio, the apprentice will also complete the following units in our online live classrooms:

Module 1 – Application Support

Module 2 – Digital Legislation

Module 3 – Data for Application Support

Module 4 – Digital Project Management

Module 5 – Defects and Testing

Application Support Lead Apprenticeship

Functional Skills Maths and English will also be delivered if the apprentice has not achieved these already. A Personal Learning Plan will be developed with the apprentice and the employer to match the employees job role requirements. So any specified applications that the apprentice will be using in their role, can be embedded into their curriculum and 20% off the job learning.

Payment Information

Programme Payments

As a Non-Levy employer (SME), you’ll have an annual pay bill of under £3m. Non-Levy paying employers will share the cost of training their apprentices with government – this is called ‘co-investment’; the government pays 95% towards to the cost of apprenticeship training with the employer paying the remaining 5%.

Small, Medium Employer (under £3m annual payroll)

• £850 + VAT

Small Employer Incentive

The government recognises that smaller employers have historically played a very important role in helping young and disadvantaged people into the workforce. They continue to support small employers to take on younger Apprentices (16-18).
So, for employers with fewer than 50 employees, the government will pay 100% of the Apprenticeship training costs for these individuals.
£1,000 is available to any employer taking on a 16-18 year old apprentice, or a 19-24 year old with an EHC plan; also available for Levy employers.

Levy Employer (over £3m annual payroll)

• On Programme: £755.56 per learner per month * 18 months = £13,600 (80%)
• End Point Assessment: £3,400 (20%)
• Total Cost = £17,000